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South Africa has changed beyond recognition since the change of government, and Alan Swaby looks at one thriving industry that was inconceivable less than 15 years ago.
The Afrikaans government didnÔÇÖt like television, nor did the Dutch Reform Church, so South Africa didnÔÇÖt get TV until 1976, long after the first man had walked on the moon. In those days people used to get dressed up to go to the bioscope, as cinema was known, and performances always began by playing the national anthem.
Standards might have relaxed a little since then, but itÔÇÖs a fair bet that the clientele of Montecasino, a gaming complex in the affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg, will not be made up of Taiwanese fishermen hell-bent on blowing their hard-earned wages, but rather the middle-class elite of the city.
The sea of change came about following the ANC victory in 1994. Conscious that valuable currency was going out of the country to Swaziland or Botswana, laws were passed to allow gaming within South Africa and bids were invited from suitable organisations. Without doubt, the plum was what was to become Montecasino.
At first, though, the slot machines and gaming tables were housed in nothing more than off-site leased premises. ÔÇ£All the licence winners did the same thing,ÔÇØ explains Steve Howell, General Manager of Montecasino. ÔÇ£It made sense to start earning on our investments from day one, while the casino proper was being built.ÔÇØ
Two years later, the leased premises were closed one evening, and the new Tuscan-style village setting for the gaming rooms opened. Why a Tuscan village? It was the idea of consultant Ken Rosevear from MGM in Las Vegas. Infinitely more understated than the typical Vegas theme, the Tuscan idea has proved very popular with visitors. ÔÇ£It has the advantage of scale,ÔÇØ explains Howell. ÔÇ£Vegas themes are scaled-down versions of, say, the pyramids or Venice. Although our facilities are inside and under one roof, everything is full scale and based on actual Italian buildings.ÔÇØ
The architectural team took thousands of reference photos from which to base their designs, even to the extent of putting bird droppings on lampposts and fading those walls that ought to be in the sun. The effect is a highly realistic-looking centuries-old village, complete with streamÔÇöexcept that it just happens to have 1,714 slot machines and 76 gaming tables.
Although 95 percent of the R1 billion-plus revenue comes from gaming, it didnÔÇÖt take Montecasino long to realise that the complex was not competing with other casinos but with all other enticements for disposable income. After all, the six casinos spread around Gauteng (part of what was the Transvaal, incorporating Johannesburg and Pretoria) appeal to the population in that catchment area, and there isnÔÇÖt a great deal of movement between one area and the next.┬á
As such, the complex has evolved and developed considerably since it opened, becoming a total entertainment centre. Today there are theatres, cinemas, restaurants and conference halls; there are two hotelsÔÇösoon there will be a thirdÔÇöand numerous shops. There is also an outdoor component which takes full advantage of the South African climate. Here the site has hosted ATP tennis matches and world-class entertainers such as Celine Dion, able to play to 9,000 people under the stars.
The R100 million 1,900 seat lyric theatre, Teatro at Montecasino, opened in 2007 with the international stage show The Lion King, and has also hosted other Broadway shows such as Cats and Cinderella on Ice. The Teatro is one of the largest auditoriums in South Africa and one of the 10 largest lyric theatres in the world.
Montecasino has a novel approach to staging events. Providing it sees mileage from it, space and facilities are often provided free of charge to promoters in return for sponsorship credit in publicity and plenty of tickets that can then be passed on to the casinoÔÇÖs guests.
ÔÇ£We do everything we can,ÔÇØ explains Howell, ÔÇ£to increase footfall on our site. We want to turn a casual visit into a regular occurrence on the basis that some of these new visitors will eventually enter the casino. WeÔÇÖre quite happy for promoters to make maximum profit so long as it brings members of our target market here.ÔÇØ
On average, there is something in the order of 700,000 to a million visits a month. Half go to the casino and half to all the other options. Howell estimates that 40 per cent of people who enter the casino spend money gambling. 
Instead of pure smart cards, the slots work with a ticket in/ticket out system. Most are multi-coin, enabling the punter to choose the value of his betÔÇöanything from a few cents to a few hundred rand. The thrill of seeing a bucket full of coins spewing out of the slot machine no longer exists, but unlike a smart card, the slots at Montecasino give out tickets for wins rather than simply adding credit to a card.
Howell runs a fairly traditional command structure. He has two deputies for gaming and non-gaming, plus the usual HR, IT and other back-room staff. Managing the 1,300 direct and outsourced staff and liaising with the 87 tenants of the centre is a team of 18 managers. ItÔÇÖs their job to create the stream of ideas which keep the name fresh in peopleÔÇÖs minds.
ÔÇ£It doesnÔÇÖt matter how outlandish the idea,ÔÇØ says Howell. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖve had everything from Ferrari days to people dining on a platform, dangling 60 meters in the air on the end of a crane. There is such a lot of competition from other sourcesÔÇöparticularly sportÔÇöthat we need novel ideas all the time. Fortunately, we have plenty of spare space on the site, so we can build what we like.ÔÇØ
Although Montecasino is feeling the pinch of the recession like many other businesses, Howell is determined not to lower the standards that customers have come to expect. ÔÇ£People come here for a little escapism. So however difficult life might be outside, we want them to know that inside Montecasino itÔÇÖs business as usual. We could cut costs and keep a healthier bottom line, but weÔÇÖre taking the long view on the recession.ÔÇØ
Definitely not like the old days.
